Portable electric hand-lantern



J. W. KNOBLOCK. PORT-ABLE ELECTRIC HAND LANTERN.

APPLICATION FILED LUNE 19. 1917.

1 31 471 Patented May 25, 1920.

HEETSfSHEET I- r9 ammwboz J. W. KNOBLOCK- PORTABLE ELECTRIC HAND LANTERN.-

APPLICATION FILED- JUNE 19, 1917.

1,341,471 Patented ay 25 1920.

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PORTABLE-ELECTRIC HAND LANTERN. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1917.

41,471 Patented May 25, 192() [Ii-:1 m 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 5] mm ntoz J. W. KNOBLOCK.

, PORTABLE ELECTRIC HAND LANTERN.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1-917.

1,341,471. Patented y 25,1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orrica.

JAMES KNOBLOCK, F ELMIRA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LA FRANCE FIRE ENGINE C0,, INQ, OF ELMIRA, NEW. YORK, A CORPORATION OF'NEW YORK.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC HAND-LANTERN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Application filed June 19, 1917. Serial No. 175,626.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES IV. KNOBLOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing in Elmira, in the county of Chemung and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Electric Hand-Lanterns, of which the following is a full and clear specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of port-- able'hand lanterns, having storage battery cells "for supplying the current. In general construction the improved lantern comprises a metal container supporting two electric storage battery cells and having means to insure the proper arrangement of the cells in series formation; a light projecting reflector supported mainly within the container between the battery cells; suitable adjustable devices mounted upon the rear wall of the container and projecting therefrom toward the reflector to focus and support the electric lamp in proper relation to the reflector; a hand operated switch interposed between the lamp and battery cells; and a cover for the lantern container carrying suitable contact plates which automatically contact with the spring terminals of the battery cells and the hand operated switch when the cover is secured in closed position, it being preferable to hinge the cover to the container body and provide a hasp or other suitable device for securing it in closed position.

The present invention comprises structural features of the general nature referred to to facilitate the economical manufacture and efficient operation of hand lanterns of the type referred to.

In order that'the invention may be fully understood I will first describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings and afterward point out the novelty more particularly in the annexed claims.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a'hand lantern embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2'is a partial rear view of the same,

parts of the interior arrangement being represented in dotted lines;

Figs. 3 and 4-. are enlarged detail views.

of the devicefior locking the. glass retaining bezel in place upon the lantern;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the improved lantern with the cover member removed;

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views illustrating a ncjodified form of lamp supporting socket; an

Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a top plan view and side elevation of the lamp cover, showing the handle bail and hook devices.

1 is a sheet metal casing or container of general rectangular configuration formed with a reinforced bottom 2, an open top.3 (closed by a cover hereinafter referred to) a vertically elongated central depression or recess 4 in the back wall, and a circular inwardly flanged rim 5 projecting slightly from the front wall to form a support for the lamp reflector and the protecting lens or front glass. Y

An internal meta-l brace, shown at 10, projects from side to side of the lamp casing a short distance from the bottom and is rivets" by its angular ends 11 to the side walls the casing. This metal brace 10 has a. central rearwardly extended portion, as shown at 12, to form, in conjunction with the rear corner portions and depression 4: of the casing, upright pockets for the reception of two storage battery cells, which are.

indicated at 15. These cell pockets are ar the circuit controlling switch, the bulb supporting socket extending rearwardly from the center of the reflector and circuit wires and bulb adjusting devices. The arrangement of the storage battery cells at opposite sides of the lamp as described produces a nicely balanced structure.

The battery cells 15, 15, may be of any approved construction. Each cell is preferably provided with positive and negative terminals in the form of compressible spring contacts, such as 16, which are designed to contact with connector plates or strips mounted upon the inner face of the cover hereinafter described. A lug 17 projects from the forward face of each cell 15 to insure against placing the cells in the lamp casing in improper position, said lugs engaging the rear wall of the casing in the event of an attempt toplace them therein in reversed'position.

20 is the ordinary concave reflector formed with an annular flange 21, which is presented within the inwardly flanged I1II1 5, to which it is rigidly secured by rivets or screws and nuts. Since the flanged rim 5 projects over the edge of the reflector 20, it will be understood that an effective spray proof jointbetween the two is obtained,

25 is the glass-securing bezel formed with I a deep circular ring 26, which snugly fits the rim 5 of the casing by which it is supported. This bezel ring 26 is formed with inclined slots 27, leading in from its rear edge which engage set screws 28 threaded into the rim 5. Interlocking slots 27 and screws 28 are arranged at irregular intervals around the circumference of the bezel ring 26, so as to insure placingthe bezel in proper position on the lamp. Upon one edge of the bezelring (preferably adjacent to the bottom where it is out of the way and I inconspicuous) is formed an offset eccentric portion 28, having in its inner edge ratchet teeth 29, with which engages a dog 30, formed upon a spring plate 31, secured to the front of the lamp casing at 32. The dog 30 in engagement with the ratchet teeth 29 securely locks the bezel ring in position upon .the lamp, so that it cannot accidentally come loose and fall off.

35 is the protecting glass or lens, secured in the open front of the reflector 20 by the bezel 25 just described. A rubber gasket 36 rests between rim 5 and glass front 35.

This glass front 35 holds in place an upright narrow strip of glass 40, upon the upper end of which rests a spring contact arm 41 held normally in electrical contact at 42 with a circuit plate 43, hereinafter referred to. The contacts 42 and 43 are connected up with the switch terminals of the lamp in the manner to be explained, the purpose of the automatic switch controlled by the supporting safety glass being to provide a means for automatically breaking the lamp circuit in the event-of an accidental fracture of the protecting glass front in the presence of an explosive gas or ...,other material. In the event of such an acthe fety glass being fractured,

will release the spring contact arm 42,

which will automatically move away from the contact plate 43 and break the lamp circuit so that there can be no glowing of the lamp filament or other circuit parts, therefore the danger of explosion from this cause is eliminated.

The reflector 20 is provided, as usual, with a central socket or 'opening 20 in which is mounted a flanged/collar 45, carrying a set screw 46, which enga es a second collar 47, mounted concentricafiy within the collar 45, and projecting rearwardly and formed at its inner end with a slightlycontracted throat 48, in which is mounted a cylindrical lamp socket 50 containing the usual internal arrangement of contacts and wires. The socket 50 is formed with bayonet joint slots 51,.with which engage the oppositely procontracted throat 48 and has ample clear- I ance in the forward end of the supporting collar 47, so that it can rock freely up or down or sidewise or at any angle from the center line of the reflector, in order to centralize the'lamp filament with the re flector. This mounting of the lamp socket also permits the adjustment of the lamp either forward or backward within the reflector, to obtain a proper focus in the refiector, for making either a "concentrated beam of light or a wider spread of light, as may be desired.

55 is a yoke or cup-shaped member open at the top to permit the entrance of circuit wires to the socket 50 and closely engages the rear end of the socket 50. ThlS member 55 is mounted upon the inner end of a screw stem 56, threaded through a sleeve 57 provided at its outer end with a securely fastened knurled head 58 and at its inner end with a collar 59, confining a spring washer 59 against the head 61 to frictionally hold sleeve 57 in position. The sleeve 57 rotates freely in a concentric sleeve "60,

formed with an inner head 61, engaging the inner faceof the inset plate 62 (hereinafter referred to) the sleeve 60 passing through the enlarged opening 63 of plate 62 and carrying at its outer end the milled clamping nut 64, which engages the outer face of plate 62 and the clamping nut 65,

which engages the nut 64. Nuts 64 and '65 are threaded upon'the sleeve 60.

The inset plate 62 is secured upon theinner face of the wall of depre ion 4 of the lamp casing, above referred o. This depression 4 has an opening 4 cut through its inner wall and the. inset plate 62 has a shallowdished or spheroidal portion 62, which behind the" rests inthe cut out 4 directly central axis of reflector 20. This inset, plate 62 is secured to the metal casingbymeans of set screws shown at 67 From the described construction of adjustable bulb supporting" devices it will be- 7 understood that by loosening the nuts 64' and 65 the screw stud 56.can be shifted up or down or sidewise orat any angle in the lamp casing, carrying with it the lamp socket ,50 and bulb 53, the socket being fulcrumed in the throat of the collar 47. \Vhen the bulb is properly centralized in the reflector 20, the nuts 64 and 65 are tightened to retain this adjustment. Then by means of the knurled head 58 the sleeve 57 can be rotated to move the screw stem 56 and connected socket 50 inwardly or outwardly to get the desired focus.

present application, but forms the subject matter of my divisional application file March 22nd,-1918, Serial No. 223,963.

The inset plate 62 also carries above-the bulb adjusting devices. just described, a

I push switch o'f suitable construction, represented at-70 and provided with an operating handle 71. This switch has connected with one of its terminals 81 the circuit Wire,

80, leading from the socket 50 andto its other terminal 82 the spring contact arm 42, above referred to,'making the electric circuit from the plate 43 through arm 42, terminals 82, 81, circuit wire 80, into the lamp supporting socket. A second circuit wire 85 leads from lamp socket 50 up to a binding post 90 mounted upon a block of insulating material 91, secured to. plate 62, above switch 70. A second binding post 95, mounted upon the block 91, has connected with it an extension 43 from the contact plate 43 of the automatic switch above referred to.

The binding posts 90 and 95 are provided with suitable compression spring contacts 90 and 95*, similar to the contacts 16 of the storage battery cells above referred to, said spring contacts being designed to cooperate with suitable contact plates carried by the lamp cover, which will now be explained.

100 is a sheet metal cover adapted to snugly fit upon the open top of the lamp casing. This cover 100 is hinged at 101 upon one side of the casing and 1s provided at'its opposite side with a hinged hasp 102,

adapted to engage staple 103 arranged to receive a bolt of a suitable lock for securing 4 the cover in closed position.

Upon the inner face of the cover 100 is arranged suitable contact plates which are insulated from the cover and designed to make contact with the battery terminals and 4 switch binding posts, above referred to. One of these contact plates shown at 105, extends from side to side of the lamp casing, directly above the forward battery terminals 16, of the two cells and makes elec- 5 trical contact with said spring contacts of said cells. This contact plate 105 is secured to the lamp cover by' means of bolts 106, passing through flanged insulating washers 107 which are seated in suitable openings in a plate of insulating material which extends the width of the cover. Two of these fastenin devices are provided for the plate 105.

extending across the lamp cover near its rear edge there are two contact plates 110, 111, of a similar construction, each plate terminating approximately in the center of the cover and being secured to the inner face of the cov er by suitably insulated bolts 112 of the sanle' general construction as just described with reference to plate 105. These to operate in series and to this end the procontact plates 1 10 and 111 are so arranged that one contact plate makes electrical connection between the binding post 90 andone of the rear terminals 16, of-a battery cell while the other contactplate' makes electrical contact between the other binding post 95 and the rear-terminal 16 of the other battery cell.

The two storage battery cells are designed jectmg lug 17 upon the front of each cell prevents the improper insertion of the cells in the casing-and thereby insures the proper arrangement for the series operation, The electric circuit is made from one binding post throu h the connected battery cells tothe other indin post; the remainder of the circuit throug the automatic and hand switches and lamp being as above explained.

For convenience in carryin the lamp and hanging'itu ,When desired, Ihave provided a .com ined handle bail and hook shown particularly in Figs. 8 and 9. of the drawings, the handle bail 120, consisting of an ordinary metal wire loop having its inturned ends 121 journaled in the sheet metal socket pieces 125, riveted to the top of the cover 100. This bail operates in the usual manner.

Cooperating with the loop bail referred to is an adjustable hook consisting of a swiveled bar 130 freely jonrnaled in the inner socket portions of members 125 and formed between its ends with a flattened perforated and widened web portion 131, through which extends the headed rod 135, of a rectangular hook member 136. The head 137 of the hook member is designed to rest in the flattened or expanded swivel portion of the bar 130 when the hook is in operation.

The combined bail and hook handle is not claimed in the present application, but- I forms the subject matter of my divisional application upon which Patent 1,301,574 was granted April 22nd, 1919. a

In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings I have shown a simple arrangement of devices for supporting the incandescent lamp socket within the reflector. In this form of device 115 the reflector 20 is formed with an integral split collar 20", which is surrounded by a split collar 150 provided with a set screw 151 passing through the adjacent walls of the collar for binding it upon the reflector collar 20*. The lamp supporting socket 50 carrying the bulb 53 fits snugly within the tion is directed to the general arrangement of parts with the location of the two secondary battery cells at opposite sides of the lamp, providing ample room for the convenient location of the switch and contact mechanism between the cells in the rear of the reflector. This arrangement permits the employment of a relatively large reflece tor, since the rear portion is ofl'ered room between the battery cells. The arrangement is such that the battery cells can be placed in the lamp only in the proper operative relation. Each cell is provided with means to prevent its improper insertion in the lamp casing. The fastening of the reflector within the casing from the inside with the overlapping casing flanges is of importance with reference to making the lamp moisture roof. The bezel lock is important in'holdmg the bezel against accidental displacement. The mounting of the contact terminals, switch and bulb adjusting devices upon a common supporting plate at the rear of bles these parts to be removed or adjustment and repair, by simply disconnecting the supporting plate and theproper contacts.

I claim:

1., In a portable electric hand lantern, the combination of a casing having spaced cell pockets arranged at opposite sides, the back wall of said casing having a central in-' wardly depressed portion forming an inner spacing member between the cell pockets and an outer recess for hand operated parts, bat'- tery cells in said pockets, a reflector mounted in the front wall of the casing, a light bulb mounted within the reflector. and a switch mounted upon the back wall of the casing with its operating head presented in the recess of said depressed porti0n.-

2. A portable electric hand lantern comprising a suitable casing formed with two centrally separated cell pockets, battery cells mounted in said pockets, a reflector mounted in the front wall of said casing, a lamp bulb, and bulb adjusting and circuit controlling devices mounted in the rear of said reflector between said cells.

3. A portable hand lantern comprising a suitable casing having spaced and balanced cell pockets, battery cells mounted in said pockets, a reflector mounted inthe 'front wall of said casing, adjustable bulb supporting devices mounted upon the casing in rear of said reflector in the space between said cells, and a controlling switch alsomounted upon said casing between said cells and in electric circuit with said cells and bulb.

4. In a portable electrichand lantern. the combination of a casing having a central inward projection'on its back wall, a partition bar extending transverselyof the casing and having a central rearwardlv projecting portion arranged opposite to the back wall projection and forming therewith spaced cell pockets in opposite sides of the casing, battery cells arranged in said pockets, a reflector mounted in the forward wall of the casing, a light bulb, a switch, and suitable circuit connections including the battery cells, the bulb and switch.

5. In a portable electric hand lantern, the

combination of a casing having a central inwardly depressed back wall portion, a bar extending transversely of the casing and formed with a central rearwardly bent portion arranged opposite to the depressed back wall portion to form spaced cell pockets upon opposite sides of the casing, battery cells arranged in said pockets, a reflector mounted in the forward wallpf the casing and projecting rearwardly' into the space between said cell pockets, a switchupon the depressed back wall portiom'a-"light bulb, and suitable circuit,cormections; including the battery cells, the switch and bulb.

6. A portable electric'handlantern comprising a suitable casing formed with cell pockets, battery cellsv mounted in said and a circuit controlling switch mounted be tween the reflector, and: said depression with its operating head resting in; the depression within the plane of the-rear wall' of the casing. 1 1, v

8. In a device ofthe character described, the combination of a suitable-casing having cell pockets, battery cells mounted in said pockets, a lamp reflector: mounted in the front wall of said casing, an adjustably mounted light bulb, a depression formed in the rear wall of the casing, a circuit controlling switch mounted between the reflector and said depression, and suitable bulb adjusting devices also mountedbetween the re-,

flector and said depression, the operating heads of said switch and bulb adjusting de-.

vices resting in the depression within the plane of the rearv wall of the casing.

9. In a'device of the character described, the combination with, a lamp casing having cell pockets, battery cells mounted in saidpockets, a reflector mounted in the front wall of said casing, a lamp bulb cooperating wlth said reflector, a circuit controlling switch, suitable bulb adjusting devices, the

rear wall or lamp casing having a cut out portion, and a removable inset plate mounted in said out out portion, said switch and bulb adjusting devices being mounted upon said inset plate and removable therewith from the casing as a unit.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a lamp casing having cell pockets, battery cells mounted in said pockets, a reflector mounted in the front wall of said casing, a lamp bulb cooperating with said reflector, a circuit controlling switch having contact terminals, suitable bulb adjusting devices, and suitable circuit connector plates extending between the battery cells and the switch terminals, the rear wall or lamp casing having a cut out portion and a removable inset plate mounted in said out out portion, the said switch, the

contact terminals and bulb adjusting de- Vices being mounted u on said inset plate and removable therewit from the casing as a unit.

11. A suitable casing carrying upon its front wall a rearwardly projecting reflector, an inwardly depressed rear wall portion forming a recess or cavity, battery cell pockets arranged in opposite sides of the casing with parts of said reflector and de- I pressed wall between them, bulb adjusting and circuit controlling devices mounted between the wall depression and reflector and between the cell pockets, and battery cells mounted in said pockets.

JAMES W. KNOBLOCK. 

